Electric brake



No. 6D`9,|24. Patented Aug. I6, |898.

E. B. SKINNER.

ELECTRIC BRAKE.

(Application filed Oct. 30, 1897.)

(No Model.)

WIVESSES [W3/SENTO@ Mm. *E Zf Nrrn STATES'v PATENT Fries.-

' ERNEST B. SKINNER, OF OGDEN, UTAH.

ELECTRIC BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $99,124, dated August16, 1898. Application filed October 30, 1897. Serial No. 656,878. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Ogden,in the county of Weber and State of Utah,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements .in Electric Brakes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specication,

This invention relates to improvements in electric brakes of that classin which alsolenoid is used to draw ina plunger when an electric currentlis applied, and thereby actuate the brake mechanism.

The present invention is designed more especially as an improvement uponmy electric brake which was patented Novemberlfl, 1893, No. 508,851.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing theapplication of my improvement to a `car-truck, the car-body beingremoved. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing myVimproved clutch for the plunger or piston of the magnet or solenoid.Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

The electric brake which I will now proceed to describe may be appliedto cars in any suitable manner, and the circuit may be as shown in myprior patent hereinbefore referred to.

A B refer to solenoids or magnets having plungers or pistons A B', theplunger or piston A being connected to the brake mechanism in anysuitable manner, so that when the circuit is formed the plunger orpistonwill be drawn within the solenoid to set the brakes.

One of the leading objects of my invention is to provide an electricbrake with an improved clutch which will not act deleteriously upon themagnetor plunger and at the same time provide one that will hold theplunger or piston secure without forcing it against the inner side wallsof the solenoid, and in which the full amount-of power applied to thelever will be transmitted to the clutch, said clutch being designed toact when the circuit is broken. One of the ends or heads of thesolenoidA has a projecting portion or tube A2, g

which is provided on opposite sides with openings, the walls of the tubeadjacent to said openings projecting outwardly. In the openings areplaced shoes S S', which are preferably of wood, though they may be ofany other suitable material, and to these shoes are fastened plates ss', one of said plates having its ends turned toward the plunger orpiston A', and the same is provided with a central bearing t,throughwhich passes a bolt c, to which are attached links O C, whichlinks engage with a lever L. The lower shoe s has a centrally-projectingportion with which the end of a lever L engages, and said lever is ofsufcientlength to extend to the plunger VB' of the solenoid B. The heador end of the solenoid Ahas formed integral therewithl or carries a pind, which may be slotted for the passage of the lever,and between thesolenoid and lever is interposed a spring D, said spring serving to movethe lever so that it will draw upon one of the shoes and push upon theother, forcing both of thebrake blocks or- `the spring and releases theshoes or brakeblocks, and the electric current also draws the plunger A'inward to set the brakes of the car. As soon as the current is releasedor turned oft the solenoids A B the spring -will move the lever so as todraw the upper shoe and push the opposite one in engagement with theplunger A', so as to hold said plunger against movement until releasedby the current. It is obvious that the weight of the plunger B', thepower of the spring, and

the weight of the long arm of the lever all coact.

An electric brake provided with a double clutch, as hereinbeforedescribed, possesses many advantages over a single brake-block,

as a single brake block or'shoe will force the plunger or piston to oneside, so that the friction will be against one side of the magnet, andthis in practice may be so great as to cause undue wear and a rapiddeterioration of the parts,which is avoided by the use of a ICO pair ofshoes, as hereinbefore described. It will also be noted that it isimmaterial whether the plunger ts loosely within its chamber or not.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric brake, a solenoid and plunger therefor for operatingthe brake mechanism, a second solenoid disposed at right angles to thefirst-mentioned solenoid, a lever connected at one end to the plunger ofthe smaller solenoid and at the other end to links which are connectedto a plate carrying a shoe, a plate having a projecting portion forengagement with the end of the lever beyond the links, a shoe carried bysaid plate and a spring positioned between the plunger of the smallersolenoid and the links to operate upon the lever, adjacent to theplunger of the smaller solenoid, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In an electromagnetic brake, a brake for the plunger or piston of themain solenoid consisting of two plates one of them carrying links towhich a lever is pivoted, a plate having a projecting portion forengagement with the lever beyond the links, a slotted pin or projectionthrough which the lever passes, a

spring which encircles said slotted pin so as to bear upon the lever,anda piston or plunger for compressing the spring so as to release thebrake-blocks carried by, the plates from the brake-operating plunger orpiston, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the magnets or solenoids A, B, having pistons orplungers which are drawn within the same by the current, a leverconnected to the plunger of the smaller magnet, a spring mounted on apin d so as to act upon the lever; together with a pair of shoes orblocks, one shoe being connected to the lever by links and the othershoe frictionally engaging with the lever so that the combined weight ofthe lever, plunger B', and force of the spring will operate when thecurrent is off to draw one of the shoes or blocks against the plunger orpiston, and push upon the other plunger or block, substantially as shownand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST B. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH W. WEST, CHAs. H. BARTON.

